Bears Narrow Thanksgiving Victory Over the Lions Won’t be Enough to Prevent Matt Nagy’s Firing
What a week it was around the Chicago Bears organization. Reports came out of head coach Matt Nagy’s firing after the Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions.
Then came reports of those being false and Nagy canceling practice just days before a game. The Bears narrowly escaped the winless Lions on Thanksgiving, thanks to a last-second Cairo Santos field goal.
However, even with the victory, it is clear as day that Nagy needs to go.
The Bears just edged out a Lions team with zero wins and without D’Andre Swift
The Lions took the lead early on as Jared Goff and Josh Reynolds connected on a touchdown pass for the first time since being reunited. But, running back D’Andre Swift hurt his shoulder and was ruled out of the game, making Dan Campbell’s job even more difficult.
So, even with the offensive limitations of Detroit, the Bears escaped with a two-point victory. Sure, Justin Fields missed the game, but that isn’t an excuse.
This Lions team is terrible, plain and simple, and the Bears somehow struggled to find any rhythm the entire game. Andy Dalton did throw for a respectable 317 yards with one score and one interception, but the running game was nonexistent as David Montgomery ran for just 46 yards on 17 carries.
Chicago scored 13 points in the second quarter and was held scoreless until the game-winning field goal courtesy of the right leg of Santos. That is a major concern.
Matt Nagy got the win but did himself no favors in the process
The Bears scoring just 16 points against the worst team in the NFL is not a good sign. Moreover, the Bears scoring just one touchdown and going nearly two full quarters without a score is also puzzling.
Nagy finally got his wish with Dalton being the starter, and the Red Rifle threw for more than 300 yards somehow. But he averaged just over eight yards per pass attempt, a sign that has yardage total isn’t as impressive as we might think by looking at the box score.
This Bears should have obliterated the Lions, especially after Detroit lost Swift in the first half. Goff was far from fully healthy and yet held the lead nearly the entire second half.
If it weren’t for the Lions’ sheer lousy football, the Bears would’ve become the first team this season to lose to Detroit, and surely Nagy would have seen the door hit him on the way out.
Changes are coming in the Windy City at some point
Can you believe that one season ago, this Bears team was in the playoffs?
Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles played hot potato at the quarterback position and stumbled into the playoffs before losing in the first round.
That isn’t happening this time around, not at all. Nagy needs to be fired — and likely will be at the end of the season. However, there is a case to be made for general manager Ryan Pace to be shown the door as well.
Start over, hire new faces all around, and let Fields and this young group of weapons turn around the troubling time that has been in Chicago.
The Bears might move on from both Pace and Nagy after the season concludes. Sure, a win is a win, but barely beating the worst team in the NFL is not encouraging.
It is only a matter of time before Nagy and Pace are let go, and the Thanksgiving victory buys them a little bit more time around Halas Hall.
Stats Courtesy of Pro Football Reference
